Vapor couple.



E. J OVINGTON. VAPOR COUPLE. APPLICATION FILED Aus.28. mm.

Patented Feb.4:,1919.

FIG.

- INVENTOR.

WITN ESSES. 7 (6mm.

beaten.

EDW J. OVINGTON, OF NEWTON CENTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

VAPOR COUPLE.

To all whom it may concern:

' employed for other Be it known that I, EDWARD-J. Oyins- Iron, a citizen of the United States, residlng at Newton Center, in the county of Middle- A particular object of my invention is to provide a construction which will be rug) g, e 3

couple easily and cheaply ,made, and assem reasonably accurate and extremely sensitive to sli ht changes in vapor tension.

A %urther object is ,to provide a vapor which will have only a slight error due to heat expansion and contraction.

Another object is to provide moisture absorbing units of a definite and easily regulated porosity and thickness which will make for uniformity of action.

Further objects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a plan view and Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 illustrating the invention in one of its preferred forms.

The preferred construction is as follows: The moisture absorbin unit consists of a sheet of gelatin, albumin or the like. This is attached to the whole of one side of the moisture nonabsorbing unit which is a sheet I of celluloid, the whole making a 11: 46)

similar to that used' in photography. Heretofore metals have been used as moisture nonabsorbing units but they are apt to corrode under the influence of the moisture present and, when given a permanent set in the form required, are not so uniform as to their dimensions, as a celluloid unit set by heat.

A slight variation in the dimensions of the couple will cause a relatively great variation in its reading due to the multiplying leverage of the pointer reading on the dial. A moisture nonabsorbing unit of metal is otherwise objectionable. I find a nonmetallic unit far superior and I prefer to use celluloid as it is easily formed and shows only a slight error due to heat expansion and con- Specification of Letters Patent.

curate indication of the Patented Feb. 4, 11919.

Application filedhugust 28, 1914. Serial No. $159,104.

traction. The couple is made preferably in the following mannerz-Photographic film, with a gelatin coating on only one side'is treated in a fixing bath of hyposulfite and water to remove the chemicals fn'om .its coating. It is then thoroughly washed in fresh water to remove all chemicals and the surplus water is drained oif. 'The film may then be given a bath moves the water, facilitates drying and helps to keep the coating porous. "This porous condition tends to increase the sensitiveness of the coating to rapid changes in vapor tension. Referring to the photographic film, I prefer to use the coating which has contained the silver salts in reference to the nonsensitized backing p aced on the film to make it noncurling as the former is more sensitive to moisture, but a plain gelatin, albumin or similar coating firmly attached for the whole of its working length to a strip of moisture nonabsorbing matea cylindrical spiral over a. flat spiral as moisture will act more evenly 'onthe former which conduces to a more nearly acmeter of which the unit is a part.

In the drawing, A

base on which is a dial B. li astened to the base is a support C which consists of a metallic wire flattened and bent back on itself at its end 10 to hold one end of the spiral vapor couple which consists of the moisture absorbing unit E and the moisture nonabsorbingunit F. To the. other end of the spiral couple is fastened a pointer G. When the couple is in the presence of moisture its coil is expanded, but as the moisture dries from the unit E this unit contracts thereby warping the coil and tightening the spirals, and as one end is held by wire C at D, the other end, holding the pointer G, is swept around the dial thereby indicating the loss of moisture. If the meter does not read correctly it can be set by twisting the flat wiresupport C. The meter can be mounted in any suitable case.

is the supporting ice 7 It will thus be seen that my invention provides a moisture indicating meter composed of two substances united throughout their length and breadth and preferably set in a permanent spiral conformation, one of said substances being non-absorbent, while the other is moisture-absorbent, and the spiral is contracted or opened through the absorbing or dryin ber, said m-olsture absorbent member being of a nature to expand in the presence of moisture and when drying out to produce a greater curling of the non-absorbent member and thus produce a contraction of the couple. The drying out of the absorbing member may also tend to furthercurve or curl or untwist the latter in addition to the curling of the non-absorbent substance. In

either event the result is the same and the moisture indicating action of the couple is found to be very accurate in actual practice. I believe it to be a distinct novelty in this particular art to provide a couple of the kind described depending on the moistureabsorbing substance to contract or tighten the spiral in the absence of moisture, and when in the presence of moisture to untwist or expand the spiral, and I wish to claim the same broadly.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the particular provision, construction. formation and relative arrangeterms of the following action of the absorbent -memment and combination of parts, members and features shown and-described; but reserve the right to vary the same, in adapting the invention and improvements to varying conditions of use, without departing from the spirit of the invention and the claim.

Having thus described my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A device of the kind described, comprising two nonmetallic strips, both of said strips being substantially of equal length and breadth and inherently adhesive to each other, cylindrical spiral, the outer substance being of celluloid and the inner being vapor absorbent and suflicientin extent and power relatively with the celluloid to control the contraction and expansion of said spiral, a fixed support on av dial for one end of said spiral, and an indicator carried by the free end of the spiral, whereby the said spiral will contract in the absence of moisture, and will expand in the, presence of moisture, thereby producing a movement of the indicator at the free end of the spiral around said dial.

EDWARD J. oviue'rouf Witnesses J. M. WooLwAY, L. B. WOOD.

said strips being formed as a unitary 

